5.29.2009

Yura Yura Teikoku are one of the great latter day Japanese psych masters and in the opinion of RSTB often overlooked. Their album 3x3x3 has to rate amongst one of the great lost gems of this genre and it would seem that we're not the only fans as DFA pull the remix treatment on the band.

Yura Yura Teikoku – Dekinai / Sweet Surrender 12" The crack team over at DFA use Yura Yura Teikoku's smoky psych as a starting point and lay a consistent thud underneath with the Dekinai side whipping the upbeat rhythms and swift stabs of guitar. Sweet Surrender on the flip brings the

icy cool off with wobbling percussion and that disaffected vocal delivery that YYT can pull off so well. Wrap that up in a marbled vinyl package with a silk-screened sleeve and its hard not to be at least a little bit charmed.

Guido Möbius

German producer Guido Möbius scribbles all over the lines between funk, Krautrock and glitch, sounding like the hybrid child of Cornelius, Neu, James Brown and Prefuse 73. Fully utilizing beat, in contrast to some of his earlier works, here Möbius cuts funk to bits, shuffles the deck and restructures the pieces with the help of soul soaked robots. Replacing snare hits with mechanical flotsam and weaving fragments of funk into place under his odd vocalizations, spoken work segments and the occasional beatbox Möbius leaves your pelvis in motion. Truthfully the latter of those three vocalizations feels a bit forced but when Möbius finds the right groove he can bring it like a sci-fi Prince sans the crushed velvet.

5.28.2009

Expo 70

Some musicians tap into the violence and turbulence of the world perfectly; Wooden Shjips first couple of EPs for example feel like the earth beneath your feet might crumble away before the needle hits the runout. Justin Wright however, has a knack for perfectly expressing the eerie calm just after destruction. His ambience hangs in the air like the crushing weight of extinguished souls, and when the guitars do come in they hang on the air with just the right amount of detached iciness. These are the tones that soundtrack the desperate calm and infinite endlessness of space and Justin has just laid four more of said meditations on us in the form of Night Flights, his first LP release. We’ve been a huge fan of Wright’s output around here as he releases track after track to CD-r and adds production to RSTB faves like Mythical Beast but now his work is finally given the (blue marbled) vinyl treatment it deserves. As of this post he’s already got another LP coming out on Peasant Magik plus last year’s excellent Black Ohms is scheduled for a 2xLP release this summer. Yeah Justin’s a pretty busy guy. Grab some of these before they’re gone.

5.27.2009

Cold Cave

Before paving the way forward with a few upcoming releases, Cold Cave takes some time to wrap up the past on Cremations a disc of live, demo and unreleased tracks. Documenting their noise oriented beginnings, which explain this release as well as some earlier ones showing up on NYC's Hospital Productions, and moving on through their icy synth swaddled current state; the disc gives a nice primer to what Cold Cave have up their sleeve in the future (i.e. a stellar 12" coming out on WYR?). Caked in nihilism and sexually predisposed lyrics but also showcasing the band's deft ability at building compelling rhythms/melodies out of stark raw materials, Cremations has many shining moments despite feeling a little incohesive. A must for those seeking some context on this band or anyone with a predilection towards the new frontier of sythwave scoundrels.

5.26.2009

13th Chime - The Singles: 1981 -1983 It looks as if Sacred Bones has gotten into the reissue game of late and judging by the quality of their new recordings we can't help but be excited about what past gems they might turn up. The first such gem

is from the UK's 13th Chime. The fact that the band made good with John Peel also bodes well for us here at RSTB. All name checking aside though the songs collected here speak for themselves. Culled from the band's three officially released singles and fleshed out with the addition of 3 demo tracks that weigh in on par with the official stuff, this is a superb introduction to the band. Skewing to the darker side of the post-punk spectrum, the band merged sparse, skeletal rock with a lyrical delivery that's sinister but not overly dreary given the time and place it was recorded. It's easy to see the attraction of Sacred Bones to this release and it seems that a "lost" LP and complete discography on CD is also in the works. The LP is also impressively augmented with a fully 12x12 book detailing the band's history along with photos.

5.25.2009

Theo Angell

Still walking the folk road away from Tower Recordings, Angell follows nicely on his Digitalis album with more root twisted tales of spiritual redemption. More than ever, his honeyed voice is pulled to the forefront, with past noises dissolving almost exclusively into finely crafted psych-folk here with the help of Matt Valentine, P.G. Six, Tom Greenwood and Samara Lubelski. These players are familiar (to Theo at least) but nonetheless expert company, building a sparse stage for Angell's vocal incantations. The album's title refers to a ceremony of extinguishing light and while this album isn't exactly dour, fittingly enough it languishes in the moments when the sun rides low and the air turns humid. Its as if the whole album takes place in the hour between sunset and firelight, you can almost feel the shadows loom as the last few tracks linger on the air and the smoke starts to rise from the logs. What more could you ask of a latter day shaman?

5.22.2009

Just a few spins on the last Fresh & Onlys record left us searching for more and thankfully, more there is. These two 7”s bookend that LPs release nicely and of course leave us wanting much more.

The Fresh & Onlys – Imaginary Friends 7" This first 7”, released on Kelly Stoltz’ Chuffed Records, preceded the album and while it includes two killers from said full length it also dips into the whimsy of “Imaginary Friends” with both track on the A-Side keeping things a

bit light. The B-Side amps up the rock just a bit, but its still the breezier side of the F&O bunch. Wrap it up in a great design and its easy to see why this peaked the current interest in the band.

The Fresh & Onlys – I’ll Tell You Everything 7"This single brings three new tracks to light and they’re some real stompers too. From the back and forth chug of the title track to the 60’s radiance of “I Saw You Seeing Me” these are proof that the band have endless

things going for them. The b-side winds a little longer than their normal two minute jerkers but “500 Snakes” kicks things to the darker side, with a sinister rasp and a spooky atmosphere. Bring on that Woodsist LP… and soon!

Neokarma Jooklo Trio

From the ranks of these often hard to find Italians comes another record of superior eastern tinged improvisation. Clanging with chimes, eerie ambience and enough abstract Easternism to evoke traces of Sun City Girls, Neokarma Jooklo Trio build improvisations off of a devastatingly percussive base and wind their way into an eerie dance that seems more ecstatic than premeditated. The band knows how to find a groove and run with it while never letting things become tiresome as many bands allow themselves under the banner of "improvisation". The NKT have found themselves in fairly heavy company before as the trio part of their name is a pretty transitory one. Under the names Neokarma Jooklo Octet, Sextet and Experience the band have added Hartmut Geerken, Makoto Kawabata and Giorgio Pacorig to their ranks. The band's physical releases have a habit of turning up in woefully limited quantities but as Time's Vibes has found a home on Conspiracy it may stick around a bit longer than their normally frustrating 100 runs.

5.21.2009

Tom Brosseau

FatCat workhorse Tom Brosseau is back at it again with Posthumous Success despite, you know, being alive and well. This time around Tom's augmented this lost in time sound with a fuller arrangement that steps away from his street busker, man and guitar lonesomeness. It's not a drastic change, but where his previous albums felt as if listeners were peering in on private moments, this one utilizes Tom's captivating voice as a piece of a grander statement. Lyrically Brosseau is still not the sunniest of characters but the kick in tempos make the sour pills easier to swallow, and besides the sadness is actually quite comforting rather than bitter. Unfortunately (and I'm sure FatCat would agree) Tom's been oft overlooked despite his consistently beautiful prolific nature but the combination of his still bare and chilly songwriting with a new homespun charm and even a dash of distortion may bring him to more welcoming ears. I certainly hope so because as usual Brosseau has crafted another lovely album.

5.20.2009

Julianna Barwick

Without uttering a word, Julianna Barwick can express more emotion with her voice than some of the most weathered lyrical masters can ever hope to. Just as on her Sanguine album, the Florine EP works loops of Barwick’s angelic voice into soaring textures that reverberate with sadness, hope, ennui and a dozen other conflicting emotions that defy description. She blurs the lines between secular and choral, allowing music to hit you in the same wondrous and indefinable ways it did as a small child, before the words had meanings and only the interwoven chords came across. Of course Barwick does at times use actual words but the phrases are repeated, looped, dissolved and reconstructed with their meanings coming into and out of focus like foggy mantras. It comes as an understatement that Julianna is one of our favorite artists (as her involvement in RSTB vol. 1 would attest to) and I can only hope that someday someone finds the wisdom to lay both this and her previous album down on vinyl.

5.19.2009

A mixed bag in the Jukebox this week. To be sure there's plenty of fuzz but also a cool bit of haze. Some names that might be familiar and others not so, but all with that scrappy bit of swagger that gives 60's garage its undeniable pull.

[MP3] Shadows of Knight - Gospel ZoneOne of my favorite Shadows tracks that despite its name, has not a trace of gospel in it. On the contrary, its a hard shuffle with a nice mid section breakdown. Bring on the handclaps. Can't stress hard enough how underrated this band was.

[MP3] The Shag - Stop and ListenHoly freakin' fuzz!! This one starts off with a foghorn blast of the stuff and kicks into a nice chug early on. Add a spacey chorus and some wicked strums and that's a pretty sweet little slice of garage.

[MP3] The Conqueroo - 1 To 3The Conqueroo bring things way down with a slow and steady beat to start things out and then explode into string stranglin' chorus. They definitely bring a dose of cool charm to the garage, no teen antics here just calm and collected precision garage.

[MP3] Road - You Rub Me The Wrong WayWell hey, Road is here to bring the fuzz back again. Scattershot drums and a nice little bit of background vox chiming in there but still its that evil dose of FUZZ that absolutely makes this track burn.

[MP3] Sean and The Brandywines - She Ain't No GoodIt just wouldn't be a jukebox if there wasn't a tale of a no good woman, man the garage set was fixated on that subject. Sean and his bunch regale the tale in a melodic fashion, high in harmonies and a nice bluesy chug.

[MP3] Lyrics - So WhatSpeaking of bluesy, Lyrics bring the garage-blues in a big way. Harmonica full on and out front and that raspy delivery giving the blues a snotty howl. This is the height of flippant yet potent garage right here.

5.18.2009

Ducktails

So after much anticipation Matt Mondanile and the NNF crew finally lay the Ducktails full length on us, and quite honestly its better than I could have hoped. A few familiar faces are swimming in amongst the titles here with "Backyard" from II and "Beach Point Pleasant" and a singular form of "Gem" from the BPP 7" making appearances. However, they've been woven so perfectly into the fabric of the album so that to familiar listeners they're just excerpts from a book they hadn't fully read yet. Also making their first real appearance here are a few tracks with defined (though not always distinguishable) lyrical elements and they slide in quite nicely alongside their instrumental brethren. The album has a fluid summertime flow; keeping things loose, laid back and airy (not tropical though as Matt would attest). And he's right this isn't the sound of island breezes, its the sound of summertime heat slowing your blood, the feel of beer cold from a bucket of ice on a rooftop as the only respite from a poorly ventilated apartment. This is a makeshift vacation. The winter build up to this record makes it even more appreciated as a summer release and I think that quite possibly this could be the best "summer" record of '09. The only problem here being that it goes by too fast. Just have to keep resetting the needle I suppose and keeping the vibe loose.

Thee Oh Sees - Tidal Wave 7"Well what can I say about Thee Oh Sees this year that I haven't already said, Dwyer is owning '09 and the tide's not poised to stop here. Dwyer's got a way with the strings that seemed to have died with the early 60's, that kind of joyous ring that

first gave people the unmistakable itch for the electric guitar. From the first notes of "Tidal Wave" the itch is in effect and then the yelps come in to seal the deal. Prime Oh Sees, how can you say no to that?

James Ferraro

So in order to enjoy this much deserved vinyl reissue of Clear on Holy Mountain you must first get past the discount MS Paint cover art. Yeah so once you put it past you, you can dive headlong into the serene bubbling landscape of synth ripples that Ferraro has built. The first two pieces build up a hypnotically beautiful yet strangely intense vibe before catapulting headlong into a third track that despite its shortness, packs almost more of a punch than the preceding two. This was conceived originally and re-released as a companion piece to Discovery, both of which are rather indicative of the solo CD-rs that James has released sans the Skaters or Lamborghini Crystal or any other assumed collaborative names. Personally I'd be grateful if Holy Mountain would lay Marble Surf down on wax as well because that always seemed like a perfect accompaniment or maybe even counterpoint to Clear as Discovery is too similar but less dynamic than the beast that is Clear. But geekery aside, if you're just tipping your toes into the ambient syhthwave catalog of Ferraro, there are worse places to start.

5.14.2009

Ganglians

More tasty lo-fi fuzz from America's left coast, picked up by Woodsist and served slightly chilled. Ganglians don't stray too far from the trashed pop aesthetic that's become the meat of the Woodsist family but hell that's what makes them so appealing. Whipping up a nice dose of melody and topping it off with an ecstatic vocal style that's more enthusiasm than pitch perfect the band's put together a pretty good little record here. The Gang do take a few moments to bring it down for some sweet and lo harmonies over some buzzing synth warbles, proving that its not all chopped pop action on this short but sweet offering. When they do kick the tempo, its all bright smiles and torn speakers that sound as if they'd make for a pretty fun live spectacle. In addition to this slab, the band has released a split with Eat Skull, so credentials are pretty much falling in order here. Definitely a bunch to keep an eye on in the coming months as it looks like a proper album and EP are in the pipes.

5.13.2009

Quest for Fire

Following the untimely demise of The Deadly Snakes, ex Snakes Andrew and Chad hooked up with members of Cursed to bring a new project to fruition. The result was much less garage than the former and much less metal than the latter but the mix swirls nicely into a froth of psych-bent rock that pushes itself out into the space rock frontier. The band leans on the epic front with most tracks working their way easily past the 6 and 7 minute marks but they use their time wisely, building slow burners rather than wandering into endless noodling or sloppy excess. The S/T debut is soaked through in an analog shimmer that feels like sinking into a musty basement couch; comfortable and worn with years of experience holding it together and probably more than a few cigarette burns giving it character. From the sounds of the album I'd imagine that the band could really pull this together into one hell of a live show. Hopefully they'll roll through so I can find out.

5.12.2009

Curt Newbury - Half a Month of May Days Curt Newbury cut one album of slightly acid-tinged folk in the early 70's with members of RSTB fave Kaleidoscope (U.S.) before shying away from music. Unfortunately Kaleidoscope didn't bring as much of

their psychedelia to the plate but what remains mixes with Newbury's plaintive folk style into a rather pretty bit of 70's singer-songwriter fodder. Curt touches on the staples of love and Vietnam which couldn't help but slip into the music considering the time frame on this one but his pleasing voice and the expertise of the backing musicians make this seem not such a dated artifact. Following this album Curt moved on to photography instead of music with questionable results but this album remains, not necessarily a classic, but certainly an overlooked album worth revisiting. Fallout has currently reissued it in its original form.

5.11.2009

Tortoise

Well Tortoise are back and sounding particularly Tortoise-like, still dubbin', still bending jazz with beat, but there's a nice bit of hard edge that underlies Beacons of Ancestorship. From the first track and popping up several other places in the album, the synth tones are dirtier than they have been in the past. This new emphasis on harsh synth mixes with their usual blend of terse rhythm and tight structure to keep Tortoise from completely sinking away with the remnants of post-rock. Not that that's ever really been a concern for the veteran combo. They've always seemed to elevate themselves above the connotations of the genre they were pinned to. When they slow the tempos the band taps into a sense of cinematic scope, revealing an emphasis on emotion that has always kept Tortoise in the heart as much as in the head. Beacons is as much in line with Tortoise's past as it is in keeping eyes on progression. Definitely no slight on their rather pristine catalog.

5.08.2009

Silk Flowers - Flash of Light 7"Silk Flowers bring the strange dose of syth to the table, and while the vocals add another layer to the mix, the band really does its best when they let the keys speak for themselves. The title track honestly had me switching between 33 and 45 trying to figure

out what speed justly fit this single but once they let go of the warbled vox its a smooth mix of atmospheric swirl and tinny beats that show a heap of promise. I hate to tell someone that they're better off shutting up but its certainly a bit appropriate in this case.

Sharon Van Etten

Another lovely release from Language of Stone, this time from NY's own Sharon Van Etten. Sharon sent us some demos a while back and though they were achingly beautiful they were still a bit rough. With the help of Greg Weeks and the LoS crew Sharon has hewn her delicate brand of folk into a lush volume of songs that tug at the heart and ache heavy with the nuances of the soul. Because I Was in Love showcases Van Etten's lilting voice and entices a shape of silken lovely folk to emerge from her melancholy past. Sparse and unencumbered, Sharon is yet another perfect addition to the Language stable. Achingly sad but in no way dour, she floats in on a film of sweet salvation.

5.07.2009

Meercaz

More fuzzy damaged lumps from Gulcher, the label that has brought you Kurt Vile and Magik Markers in the past. In this tradition Meercaz don't disappoint. Brimming with blown speakers and harsh static, Meercaz file garage down to its raw primitive roots; fizzling, grooving and even sleigh belling away at times on this record. They throw in bits of glam and tidbits of pop for effect every now and then but at heart this is a growling shot of heavy, fuzz laden garage with nods to the forefathers of heavy alt. Gulcher knows how to bring the best moments of the nineties floating back on the winds of their current roster and Meercaz fulfills this prophecy with precision. Not exactly breaking ground but at the same time this is the kind of aggressive rock your life has been missing of late. Feel the urge to pump a fist and get sweaty while the 'caz is playing.

5.06.2009

Tyvek

Tyvek have become a bit famous for reusing and re-releasing material over the last few years. With several 7”s and odds and sods under their belts they’ve landed on Siltbreeze with a new batch of tasty tinny tunes for public consumption. Now to be fair it’s not all new names and faces among the bunch, “Frustration Rock” has been floating around with the last batch, popping up on the Summer Burns 2x7” and “Duck Blinds” made an appearance on this year’s Sub Pop Singles club. The rest though seem to fit the bill and it’s just a ratty and fun as the rest of Tyvek’s catalog. The lo-fi demeanor seems perfectly matched to a home on Siltbreeze and they’ve wrapped this whole thing up in a strange nod to the era of California Raisins claymation – creepy. Anyhow it’s got its feet in equal pools of fun and angst and sometimes that’s just how we like ‘em around here.

5.04.2009

Nothing People

It seems strange, since Late Night comes so close on the heels of their last album, that Nothing People's sound should take such a shift in such a short span of time. The basic elements that made Anonymous are there, but this album seems to have had a bit of a polish both in production and approach. Part of what really appealed to me about Nothing People's first album was the disparate nihilism and sci-fi angle that they seemed to pull out of their professed love of Chrome and The Twinkeyz. Late Night still bubbles into the darkness at times but it seems to have softened the sinister edge that wrapped around songs like "Suspicious" and and "Sickness" from the first album. Though this comparison by no means negates Late Night's merits. Its still full of spaced and laced bits of gauzy flotsam that tend towards the atmosphere rather than the jerky rhythm I was prepared to expect. Maybe this is the just calm at the center of the Nothing, maybe the first wave was full of paranoia and twitchy skin and that's led to an uneasy calm of a second effort. Who knows what the next album will bring, the second wave of a storm can sometimes be the most brutal.

5.01.2009

Another droplet of goodness from the Sacred Bones camp.. This time in the form of an old RSTB friend, Nice Face.

Nice Face - Mnemonic Device 7"Still keeping things crunchy while balancing his hardest edged song to date with one of the calmest (relatively). The A-side amps up the keys and keeps things dark and dank. On the flip its Nice Face stepping up to the classic punk plate,

just a little more lo-fi and fuzzy than most have approached the template. These two represent the best side of Nice Face yet. It’s always hard to get an handle on a band that has out only a few singles but the progression certainly seems to be heading in the right direction. Hopefully he'll be able to find a way to keep all the influences properly balance in the context of a full length, but for now I'm just enjoying the prologue.

Plastic Crimewave Sound

Not too shortly after their last outing on Eclipse (and even less time if you consider their CD-r output) PCW is back and traversing space and the eternal chord, this time focusing more on their inner Hawkwind than the fiery guitar explosions that have littered some past releases. Stretching the pulse that normally cranks along under their electric writhing into a slowly simmering throb, Painted Shadows is a more deliberate and textured side of the Plastic Crimewave experience. The centerpiece of the album is shares the record's title and works itself into a pulsing bit of krautrock that burns with a slow flame. Then the band shows just a bit of the old bravado before blurring the lines of psych and even dropping in a bit of electrified banjo to color things further. The album is a real progression and definitely one of their best yet, not as epic as No Wonderland but just the right mix in jus the right places.